Pretoria - South Africa has committed itself to fast-track the provision of water and sanitation services, particularly for those from previously disadvantaged communities.
Briefing the media on Thursday following a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe said 25 091 bucket toilets have been eradicated to date and 27 147 need to be completed.
“The Bucket Eradication Programme is aimed at addressing the legacy of bucket toilets as a form of sanitation system in four provinces, namely the Eastern Cape, Free State, North West and the Northern Cape,” the Minister said.
The Department of Water and Sanitation is on a sanitation campaign, which will culminate on World Toilet Day on 19 November 2016. World Toilet Day is used to create awareness to educate and apply efforts to ensure that everyone has access to decent sanitation services.
The theme for World Toilet Day 2016 is ‘Toilets and Jobs’, focusing on how sanitation or the lack thereof can impact people’s livelihoods.
Meanwhile, on 14 November 2016, Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane unveiled the Drakenstein Waste Water Treatment Plant and handed it over to the Drakenstein Municipality in the Western Cape.
Minister Radebe said the provision of a basic water service to the community contributes to the improvement of the quality of water in the Berg River and alleviates the negative impact of poor quality irrigation water. – SAnews.gov.za
